After 30 November 2021, Barbados will likely become a case study – for all the wrong reasons. We simply did not appreciate what we had. Like the dog with a bone looking at a reflection of himself in the river, we dropped the invaluable, and chased an illusion.
The invaluable things we took for granted are: (i) this wonderful island, (ii) competitive businesses, (iii) royal protection, and (iv) divine favour. The illusion we chased is national identity.
WONDERFUL ISLAND.
Everything about this island is wonderful. Its landscape, climate, vegetation, and animal life are together a wonderful paradise. It is ours. We did not earn it – our enslaved fore-parents purchased it for us with their lives labour.
A grateful nation would appreciate, honour, value and build on their sacrifices – and we did. But this ungrateful generation of their descendants, has chosen to devalue their sacrifices by devaluing this island. We argue that this invaluable piece of rock is not worth much, and so we want reparations.
COMPETITIVE BUSINESSES.
Barbados’ private sector comprises two types of businesses – those that are competitive and those that are not. Competitive businesses: keep improving, give their clients value for money, and can compete internationally. Uncompetitive businesses do not normally survive. But a group of them have found a way to survive, by funding political parties.
BLP senior members Atherley and Payne recently revealed in the House of Assembly, that some private sector companies funded the BLP and DLP election campaigns, and received corrupting inflated no-bid contracts in return. This practise automatically disqualifies the best Barbadian companies, and forces everyone to pay higher taxes to pay the inflated costs.
The corrupt members of Barbados’ private sector have no incentive to improve. They used to charge between 2 to 5 times the actual value. However, based on recent statements in the House of Assembly, the new upper limit of overpayment appears to be 8 times. This generation of Barbadians is so ethically challenged, that they defend corruption once their political party is in Government.
ROYAL PROTECTION.
At Emancipation, our enslaved fore-parents were freed from the restraining shackles of slavery. At our Independence, our parents were freed from the restricting effects of colonialism. For the past 55 years, we could get rid of any vestiges of colonialism we wished – and we did. The one thing we chose to keep, was Royal defence insurance – because we cannot afford to defend this island on our own, and this type of insurance is extremely rare.
Since our Independence, Barbadians benefited immensely from that insurance. We have a small defence force, that is trained to hold-on until the well-armed British military arrives. This allowed Barbadians to use their resources to compete on non-military goods and services – and we did. We became internationally competitive in: arts, sports, sciences, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, medical, construction, financial and other services.
This generation of entitled Barbadians thinks that international protection is their right. They are gravely mistaken. They ignorantly cheer-on cancelling this invaluable insurance that we have with a permanent member of the UN Security Council, who has enough nuclear assets to deter any nation. On 30 November 2021, all Barbadians become uninsured in this very hostile world.
DIVINE FAVOUR.
At our Independence, we declared that we acknowledge the Supremacy of God. In many public sector formal meetings, prayers are offered to Our Heavenly Father, the Only Creator of all that is seen and unseen, in the name of Jesus, the Messiah of all mankind. Barbados is a blessed country that has not been impacted by a major hurricane since our Independence.
The proposed Charter of Barbados does not discriminate on who or what is worshipped. The Creator, satan, demons, and rocks in the yard may all be recognised as equal in the New Barbados. This generation of Barbadians prefers partisan religious leaders, who preach that the BLP and/or the DLP is great. Those compromised hirelings are ushering in an age of Ichabod in Barbados.
NATIONAL IDENTITY.
National identity is not something to be chased. It is who we were at any time in our history. Before, Emancipation, we were a slave society. Before Independence, we were a colony. After Independence, we exchanged our independence for the red and yellow shirts of our political masters – who generally mismanaged our economy and public services.
What does our inability to manage our own Airport or Caves say about our national identity at this time? What does disqualifying the best Barbadian businesses and rewarding the worst say about our national identity? We have become an ungrateful and entitled society that excuses our party’s gross corrupt practises – that is who we are at this time.
BURNING THE LADDER.
Some parents leave the ladder of success that they found, for their children to use. Others kick down the ladder, so that their children will develop a strong character as they struggle to put it back up. Both parents had good intentions.
This generation of Barbadians has not studied history. So, they embrace unattainable utopias, promised by the same bad actors throughout history, that only harms nations. This generation of Barbadians burns the ladders that they found, leaving nothing for the next generation to climb. Our children will rise and curse this generation of Barbadians for being so stupid.
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